Top Australian Newspaper Publishes Cartoon Depicting Gay People as Nazi Stormtroopers

Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian’s Vile Attack on Same-Sex Marriage and LGBT People Is Outrageous

Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian is under fire after publishing a cartoon depicting gay people as Nazi Stormtroopers, complete with rainbow colored uniforms. The gross, disgusting, and historically offensive image, created by cartoonist Bill Leak, offers the title, “Waffen – SSM,” a play on the Nazi Party’s Schutzstaffel, Hitler’s military known as the SS, but substituting “SSM” for “SS.” 

David Donaldson a reporter not at The Australian, expressed his outrage:

Today, even though the vast majority of Australians support same-sex marriage, Australia’s political parties are at an apparent impasse, with some insisting on a non-binding plebiscite forcing Australians to decide at the polls if they support equality, even though lawmakers would not be bound by that vote. Yet Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is insisting on the plebiscite.

The cartoon itself is offensive on a number of levels, including that LGBT people were not Nazi Stormtroopers. In fact, Hitler’s “purity” requirement would never have allowed it. Also, the Nazis murdered millions, including an estimated 15,000 people identified as gay, and likely a great many more. Gays were also ruthlessly targeted and persecuted by the SS.

Murdoch’s The Australian is the largest nation-wide daily newspaper in Australia. Murdoch is the Executive co-chairman of 21st Century Fox and News Corporation, and is in charge of U.S. media outlets including Fox News.

Gay Times UK’s Josh Withey notes that “if anyone from the Australian is reading this, or if you’re wondering why people are so outraged at this particular cartoon, you should read about the countless gay holocaust victims right here. And while you’re at it, you should also read about Sharley McLean, a Jewish lesbian survivor of Nazism.”

On social media, many also expressed outrage:

 

Hat tip: Gay Times UK